Next Generation Spotlight

Piece Written by Sarah Staples

I'm Sarah Staples, a rising senior at the University of Kentucky, and I had the honor of being a competition intern for Equestrian Events Inc. (EEI) this past Spring semester. I’ve been riding for as long as I can remember, but I don’t think I truly fell in love with the sport until I purchased my Haflinger/Thoroughbred cross gelding, Cognac, and we started eventing together in 2019. Leaping into this new discipline with my green horse and very little knowledge of the sport came with its own set of challenges. Still, I quickly became fascinated by both the sport and the competition atmosphere for the way they pushed me as a rider and gave me a sense of community. Ironically, one of the things that kept pulling me back was how incompatible my personality seemed with the sport. No matter how many times I was scared out of my mind for one reason or another, I wanted to keep trying, learning, growing, and giving my horse the ride he deserved because I could see how much he loved it (maybe not the dressage at first, but we are getting there).

As I entered college, I took a break from competing as I was trying to balance being a student, getting involved, and working at my barn, but it was then that I became more active in other roles at competitions through volunteering with UK Eventing. I was most excited when April rolled around during my freshman year, and I got the opportunity to volunteer at the Kentucky Three-Day Event for the first time in 2024.

The atmosphere at the Kentucky Three-Day Event is hard to put into words. The best way I can describe it is an energy so special that it is like catching lightning in a bottle. Before being chosen as a competition intern, I had only experienced it from the outside; I saw the polished final product from the perfectly manicured cross-country track, to the grandstands full of excited spectators, and the horses and riders all dialed in for a weekend of world-class competition. I had no idea the months of work put in by the team at EEI and countless other individuals that led up to that week. 

Sarah at the 2026 Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event

When I began considering internship opportunities and what I wanted to pursue as a possible career after graduation, I was coming off of a period in college where I had been working toward a goal I was not fully passionate about. That experience made me skeptical of whether I even had the ability to pursue another big goal. After staring at the application for EEI’s competition internship for far too long and having many conversations with my family and friends, I eventually realized that the same thing drawing me toward the sport of eventing as a competitor was also drawing me toward event management; the atmosphere, the energy, and the challenge of being part of something bigger than myself despite the pressure that comes with it. I knew there was a chance I might not get the position, but I would never know if I didn’t try.

I am so grateful to EEI for being a space where I could continue to cultivate my passion and learn so much about event management and the many different pieces that go into planning a large-scale event such as K3DE. So many of the tasks I handled seemed small on paper — organizing documents, taking inventory of competition materials, and delivering information where it needed to go — but once event week arrived, I realized how essential every detail truly was. Even the smallest responsibilities contributed to keeping the competition running smoothly and helped make the flow of the week easier for the entire team. I had the chance to work on a project  highlighting the essential role of grooms in collaboration with the International Groom’s Association. It was only beginning to get off the ground as event week arrived, but it gave me a bunch of ideas I hope to keep running with someday in the future.

During event week, getting the opportunity to have the show office be my home base was incredibly rewarding because I was finally able to see how everything we had discussed and prepared for in the months leading up finally came together. It also gave me the chance to collaborate and interact with so many different people who all played a role in making the event possible.

Everything started to click for me when I found myself sitting in my car after a long day at the event, feeling more fulfilled and energized by the work than I had ever experienced before. I could finally picture myself in the industry long-term, not only as a rider, but as someone helping create the experience itself. 

Looking back now, I think that is why this internship meant so much to me. It was not just about learning how competitions run or gaining experience in the industry. It showed me that some of the most meaningful opportunities in my life have come from stepping into situations that initially intimidated me. I have grown so much through this sport, both as a competitor and from working behind the scenes, and I have fallen even more in love with eventing because of it.

There is one person I cannot end this without acknowledging; Cavan Allen. Thank you for being the best supervisor and mentor throughout this semester. You truly believed in me from the start and gave me so much courage to step out of my comfort zone. To the rest of the EEI staff, you immediately made me feel welcome and it was a pleasure to work alongside you. This experience was like no other, and I am excited to see what the future holds.